ABSTRACT
Decision models are ever-present in the materials management processes of industries other than construction and have proven their worth in improving productivity and profitability. This chapter presents research that focused on supply chains for the electrical contracting industry. The research derives the optimal integration of people, decision processes, decision support systems and data that are required to support efficient and effective systems for acquisition, procurement, transport, storage and allocation of material in the construction industry. A decision support framework is proposed that integrate various alternatives and parameters to provide possible solution for some of the decision making questions posed. The causative factors are divided into a set of controllable factors that constitute the decision alternatives and a set of un-controllable factors called parameters that must be measured, estimated or forecasted. The construction industry, facing opportunities and threats in a global marketplace for construction, is poised to embrace a similar approach to its materials management practices.
